Rebirth
by Rogue Nine
Summary: What happens after the Mariemaia Revolution? Yet another take on it, plus a few more characters thrown in to stir up the mix. UPDATED! Please R&R!
1. Choice

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or any of its characters, please don't sue me.  
  
Been a while since I last updated this damn thing. Hopefully more interest will be generated in it than it was two years ago. hopeful  
  
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Winner Family Estate, Middle East  
  
Quatre Raberba Winner ran a hand through his blond hair as he examined some production figures. He was twenty-five years old and already the head of one of the largest manufacturing corporations in the world. Lines of concentration creased his young face as he sighed and scanned some more paperwork. Suddenly two arms embraced him from behind and a head was laid on his shoulder. "Little brother, you work too much."  
  
Quatre smiled and turned. "Iria, you know this has to get done."  
  
Iria Winner chuckled as she straightened up and tousled her youngest sibling's hair. "Yes, but that doesn't mean you sacrifice family time for work," she admonished him lightly.  
  
He put down the paper he was holding and stood up to face his sister. "You're right. C'mon, let's go sit down outside." They walked outside to the patio next to the swimming pool. Quatre sat down at a round table while Iria leaned against a white support pillar. "You know," he began, "this is the exact spot where Duo and I decided to return to space with our Gundams."  
  
His sister crinkled her blue eyes at him. "Yes, then you almost got yourselves killed in the process."  
  
Quatre gave her a lopsided grin. "But I was able to survive thanks to you. And Duo got out eventually with Heero's help."  
  
Iria canted her head. "Ah, you boys. Always looking out for one another. By the way, when was the last time you spoke to one of them?"  
  
Quatre rubbed his chin as he thought. "Hmm, I last spoke to Heero about five months ago. I saw Trowa and Catherine in the L3 colonies on my way here to Earth. Duo called me a few weeks ago and I've not heard from Wufei in the longest. I suppose he's caught up in all his Preventer work."  
  
"Even though you haven't kept consistent contact, you five are kindred spirits," Iria remarked. "You've all saved the world together and deep down inside you all care for each other."  
  
"I know," replied Quatre. His eyes grew a little misty and his expression turned wistful. "I only wish Father could have seen the world we've been able to help create. He would have been so happy and proud..."  
  
Iria approached her little brother and was about to reply when the butler appeared and announced, "Master Quatre, there is a young lady here to see you."  
  
Quatre looked at him. "Did she say what her name was?"  
  
The butler shook his head. "No, but she did say that she was a former sparring partner of yours."  
  
Curious and intrigued, Quatre got up and said to Iria, "I'll be right back. Excuse me."  
  
Iria waved nonchalantly. "No prob."  
  
The butler led Quatre to the front door where a young woman with long blonde hair stood. Her back was turned to him, but as soon as she heard his footsteps she turned to face him. Quatre gave a little gasp as he recognized her to none other than Dorothy Catalonia.  
  
"Hello Quatre," she greeted, bowing to him.  
  
He approached her and held out both his hands. "You needn't do that," he said. She straightened up and took both of his hands in her own. Quatre led her into the living room. She sat down on a large armchair and folded her hands in her lap. Quatre took a seat across from her on a couch.  
  
"So, how are you Dorothy?" asked Quatre. "It's been ages."  
  
"I'm well, thank you. I can see you're pretty well off yourself," Dorothy replied, gazing around the room.  
  
"You're no stranger to a lifestyle like this," Quatre said, a slight grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.  
  
She smiled. "No, I'm not. But that's not the reason I came here, Quatre."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
Dorothy looked at her hands. "I came here because I needed to talk to someone who understands me."  
  
"Let me guess. That person's me, right?" Quatre said, pointing to himself.  
  
She nodded.  
  
"Dorothy, I'd be glad to help you with anything I possibly can. Just name it."  
  
She took a deep breath. "Quatre, you're the person who made me see the error of my ways. I was a foolish girl that loved foolish wars. You made me open my eyes and broadened my scope on things. Because of you, I was able to change myself and all the things that were wrong with me. For that I can never repay you." Quatre was about say something but Dorothy held a hand up, silencing him. "Let me finish. Seven years ago, I saw you and your friends save the Earth and the colonies. Two years later, I saw you guys do it again. That caused me to question my purpose for existing. For the past six years, I have been looking for an answer. I think I've found it."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"I'm going to join Preventer."  
  
"Wow Dorothy," Quatre said, awed. "That's a big decision. You sure you're up for it?"  
  
"Quatre, I've spent the past six years wondering if I can exist in a world free of wars. I've found that I can, and I like it that way. Joining Preventer would make me fulfilled because I would be helping in keeping the peace."  
  
Quatre smiled. "That the perfect attitude to have and I'm behind you all the way."  
  
Dorothy smiled as well, as if a great burden had been lifted from her shoulders. "Thank you so much for understanding."  
  
"Would you like me to come to Brussels with you to talk to Chief Une?" Quatre asked.  
  
"You'd do that for me?"  
  
"Hey, I said I'd do anything I could do to help."  
  
Just then, Iria walked in. "Hello," she greeted Dorothy.  
  
Quatre got up and led Iria to Dorothy. "Iria Winner, meet Dorothy Catalonia."  
  
"Pleased to meet you," Dorothy said as they shook hands. Leaning towards Iria, she said, "Did you know I once stabbed your brother through the side?"  
  
Quatre burst out laughing as a look of utter surprise and disbelief crossed his sister's face. "C'mon, I'll explain it later."  
  
"I sure hope you can. Where are we going, by the way?"  
  
"Field trip," he replied. "To Brussels, Belgium." 


	2. Invitation

Colony X-28524, L3 Colony Cluster, Outer Space  
  
Catherine Bloom stretched her arms above her head and yawned. It was a bright, sunny day and she was standing outside the entrance to her trailer. Then again, she thought, it is always sunny and light here on the colonies. She and her circus were making a trip throughout the colonies, but right now she had a little time to herself before the next show, so she was going to enjoy every minute of it.  
  
Walking around, she found a grassy spot to sit down on. She drew her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. She enjoyed quiet time and solitude. Hearing footsteps behind her, she smiled and, without looking back, said, "So, you decided to join me after all."  
  
Her surrogate little brother, Trowa Barton, sat down next to her. He wasn't really little, nor had he ever been, but Catherine had always acted as a sisterly figure to him. She looked over at him and stared into his deep, expressionless, green eyes. He continued to stare past her, his countenance remaining unchanged. She sighed. "Why can't you ever smile of your own accord?" she asked him. "Why does it have to be forced out of you?"  
  
"What's the point?" he replied.  
  
"What do you mean 'What's the point?'" she retorted. "Smiling and being happy is better than wearing that dour expression all the time."  
  
Trowa closed his eyes, and his lips curled into a slight grin. "I know," he said quietly. "I was kidding." Catherine smiled and hugged her little brother. After a while, she thought she heard more footsteps and a slight squeaking sound she could not identify. She looked at Trowa. He had obviously heard it too, because he turned around and looked behind them. Following his lead, she turned to see what was making the noises.  
  
Two people were approaching them. One of them was a girl, no older than fifteen, with vibrant red hair tied back in a ponytail. She was sitting in a wheelchair, which was making the squeaking noises. A young woman wearing a black and green jacket bearing the insignia of the Preventer Agency was pushing the wheelchair. She also had red hair, except that hers was shorter and wavier, with two locks of hair that artfully framed her face.  
  
Catherine thought she recognized the girl in the wheelchair from somewhere before, but she had never seen the other person. She stood up, Trowa following suit. As the pair approached, Catherine was about to greet them when Trowa surprised her and greeted them instead. "Hello, Mariemaia," he addressed the young girl in the wheelchair.  
  
"Trowa Barton," she replied, using his name as her greeting.  
  
"It's been a while," he said.  
  
The young girl smiled slightly. "Seeing how we've never actually met face to face, I suppose it has been a while." She leaned forward and extended her hand toward him. After a few seconds' hesitation, Trowa reached forward and shook her hand. Mariemaia then turned to Catherine. "Excuse me for being so rude. My name is Mariemaia Khushrenada." She held her hand out.  
  
Catherine finally realized where she had seen this girl before. Mariemaia Khushrenada was the figurehead of the revolution that occurred in AC 196, when she and her colony declared war on the Earth Sphere Unified Nation. She was manipulated by Dekim Barton, the mastermind of the original Operation Meteor, into believing she was carrying out her father's will. In the end, Trowa and the rest of the Gundam pilots were successful in foiling Dekim's plans, but not before he had shot Mariemaia after she had come to realize that she was being manipulated. The bullet grazed her spine and paralyzed her legs.  
  
"So, you're Mariemaia Khushrenada," Catherine said, shaking the girl's outstretched hand. "I'm Catherine Bloom. I've heard a lot about you."  
  
Mariemaia's smile turned rueful. "Not all of it is good, I expect." She turned and looked up at the young woman. "And this is my guardian, Aeron Mackenzie."  
  
Aeron nodded and shook both Catherine's and Trowa's hands. "I'm with the Preventer Agency," she introduced herself in a lilting, cultured accent.  
  
Catherine looked at Mariemaia, then at Aeron, then back at Mariemaia. "You two aren't related, are you?" she asked.  
  
Mariemaia laughed and Aeron chuckled. "No, we're not," the older redhead replied. "But we get that a lot."  
  
Trowa folded his arms over his chest. "So, what brings you here? I don't suppose this is a social call."  
  
"It's an informal social call in the guise of a formal official one," replied Mariemaia. "We've been sent here by Preventer Chief Une to request that you two come with us back to Earth."  
  
Catherine's eyes widened. "The both of us? Whatever for?"  
  
Aeron shrugged her shoulders. "The orders were pretty ambiguous. But they did request that you, Catherine, come along as well."  
  
Catherine looked over at Trowa. "Do you know why Lady Une would want us both to go? I mean, I can understand if she wants to talk to you, but what would she possibly want me for?"  
  
"Whatever it is, I'm pretty sure it's important," replied Trowa. To Aeron, he said, "When do we have to go?"  
  
"That wasn't exactly specified, but I think the sooner the better," she answered. "We can have a shuttle ready for you right away."  
  
"So, we're going, Trowa?" Catherine asked.  
  
"Yeah, I guess so."  
  
Catherine started back towards the trailers. "I'll go get our things ready," she called. Trowa nodded.  
  
Aeron pushed Mariemaia forward bit, just enough so that she was adjacent to Trowa. The girl looked up at the quiet young man. "What were you doing out here anyway?"  
  
"Thinking."  
  
"Oh. You quiet ones always do a lot of that." She fidgeted in her seat. "Trowa, did you know my father?"  
  
There was a momentary look of surprise on Trowa's face, and then it vanished as quickly as it had come. "I knew who he was and I fought against him. If you're asking if I knew him personally, then the answer is no."  
  
Mariemaia looked at her feet. "Oh. Then did you know my mother?"  
  
"No, she died when I was still young. I learned about her from the Barton Foundation's files." Trowa glanced at the girl next to him. Her expression was one of deep sorrow. "I'm sorry Mariemaia. The only people who could have possibly known anything about her were Dekim and your real uncle, the original Trowa Barton."  
  
"I know. I just wanted to see if you knew anything more," Mariemaia said, staring forlornly off into space.  
  
"There are people that knew your father well, though," Trowa continued.  
  
"Yes, Lady Une knew Father better than anyone."  
  
"There are two other people that might know a little bit more about Treize."  
  
"Really? Who?"  
  
"Wufei Chang and Zechs Merquise."  
  
Mariemaia looked taken aback. "I knew about Zechs, but I didn't know Wufei knew Father."  
  
"Oh, he knew your father pretty well, I think."  
  
"No wonder he joined..."  
  
They stayed there for a while, not saying anything to each other and contemplating things. The silence was broken only by Aeron saying that Catherine was ready with everything. The quartet exited the circus grounds and piled into a waiting limousine, which then sped off to the spaceport.  
  
There was a slight breeze in the air, ruffling leaves and causing them to take flight. It blew over the grassy knoll and a few leaves settled next to the clown half-mask in the grass. 


	3. Neutralized

Brussels, Belgium, Outside Preventer Headquarters  
  
"I'm sure we can work some sort of reasonable compromise between yourself and the Warfields," Preventer Chief Une told the balding, mustachioed man next to her as they walked to the parking lot.  
  
"I have the utmost confidence you will, Ms. Une," he replied. "I just hope that this will be resolved soon."  
  
"As do I, Mr. Sulamaya." They were now at the gate of the lot.  
  
Orl Sulamaya gave her a cordial smile. "Until we meet again, Counselor." He turned and made his way to his car.  
  
Lady Une watched the man as he got in his car and sped away. She gripped the railing in front of her and leaned on it. Heaving a great sigh, she mentally reviewed the whole situation in her head. Ever since the start of the Mars Terraforming Project, the idea for creating new colonies had been tossed around. All current space colonies were stationed around special points around the sun in geosynchronous orbit called Lagrange points. The Italian-French mathematician Josef Lagrange discovered five special points in the vicinity of two orbiting masses where a third, smaller mass can orbit at a fixed distance from the larger masses. More precisely, the Lagrange Points mark positions where the gravitational pull of the two large masses precisely cancels the centripetal acceleration required to rotate with them, thus allowing the construction of artificial satellites or space colonies around them. In Earth's orbit, there are five Lagrange points. With the advent of the Mars Terraforming Project, Lagrange points around Mars had been the subject of heated debate as to the construction of space colonies around them. And whenever there was something like this, there were bound to be conflicts of some sort. The Warfields, an industrial combine, and the Sulamaya Construction and Industry Corporation were competing for operating rights and construction priority. The economy would get a huge boost if either company received the rights, so the Earth Sphere Unified Nation called in the Preventers to arbitrate the hearings. As if her job weren't already hectic enough...  
  
Tucking a loose strand of chestnut-brown hair behind her ear, Lady Une casually walked to her car. Looking up at the sky, she smiled wistfully as she recalled her former superior's memory. Mr. Treize, you would know how to handle this, she thought to the sky. Pausing at the door of her vehicle, she remembered the one thing her beloved employer had left her. Ever since the end of the Mariemaia Uprising, Lady Une had taken in the girl as her own daughter. It was the least she could do to honor Treize's memory. She had grown to adore the inquisitive and outspoken little girl, nurturing her spirit and naturally independent nature. Recent events with the Lagrange point situation had forced her to place Mariemaia under the care of one of her agents. Mariemaia had taken to Aeron Mackenzie rather quickly, as the two became fast friends. The girl accompanied the Preventer everywhere. Lady Une had sent the two of them to the L3 colony cluster to retrieve Trowa Barton and Catherine Bloom. She needed the both of them to assist her with the negotiations, because Orl Sulamaya had specifically requested so. As to why, she had no idea, but if she was to finish this deal, she needed to do it as expediently as possible.  
  
Opening the door to her car, she quickly shut it again. She had forgotten the paperwork in her office. As she started to walk back to the building, she heard a loud click emanate from her car. She didn't even get a chance to look around when the vehicle exploded in a huge fireball, throwing her forcefully into another car. As she slammed into the car, she heard something crack and then felt a sharp, shooting pain all over her body. Then her head hit the pavement and Lady Une felt no more as the world went black. 


	4. Glimpse

Preventer Cruiser in Open Space near Lagrange Point Six  
  
"Hey Wufei, you think you could hand me that spare number five cable?" Lucrezia Noin asked of the Chinese man to her left. She was under a console, busy repairing an apparently faulty sensor system. Wufei nodded and picked the short black cable from the tool kit. He then handed it to Noin, who placed it in her mouth and offered a muffled "Fank koo" before disappearing under the console.  
  
Wufei and Noin were not usually partnered together. They both worked for the peacekeeping organization Preventer, but their normal partners were Sally Po and Zechs Merquise respectively. However, both Sally and Zechs had decided to take their vacations at the same time. Zechs was off visiting his sister Relena while Sally was spending time with her family on Earth. As a result, Wufei ended up with Noin as a temporary partner.  
  
Noin rolled out from under the console and wiped the sweat off her brow. Their sensor suite had started to malfunction as they approached the vicinity of La Grange point 6. So Noin had taken it upon herself to fix the problem. She looked up at her taciturn partner and asked, "Are the sensors online now?"  
  
Wufei punched a few keys on the console and checked the sensor systems. "No, we're still out."  
  
The raven-haired woman blew an exasperated sigh and pulled herself off the ground. As she tried to stand, her foot slipped and she would have taken a nasty spill had it not been for Wufei's hand shooting out to catch her arm at the last possible second. Wufei's dark eyes flashed with concern as he hauled her up and looked her over. "Are you all right?" he asked.  
  
Noin flashed him a wide smile. "Thanks for the save, Wufei. I owe you."  
  
Wufei released her arm and grinned slightly before looking back at the console. "We can't do any more here. Our sensors aren't responding. We should head back to MO-V for repairs."  
  
"All right," Noin agreed. "Set a course. I'm gonna head aft to check on all the other vital systems."  
  
"Yes ma'am," responded Wufei as his fingers flew over the controls.  
  
Noin took one more look at the boy before she headed towards the rear of the ship. She smiled crookedly as she slid down the access tube leading to the main systems command panels. He isn't a boy anymore, she told herself. He's changed so much in the past few years...  
  
Stepping up to the control panel, she recollected all that had transpired in the time since the Mariemaia Uprising. The years of peace seemed to have a mellowing effect on the former Gundam pilots. A fine example was her present partner, Wufei. Here he was, working with her in order to stop conflict. She would have never even dreamed it. He was no longer as solitary and antisocial as he was before. He had rediscovered his love of books and scholarly activities and had become less and less caught up with his code of honor and justice. But he had not mellowed out entirely. He still retained his sense of duty and responsibility and it showed; he was one of the most dedicated Preventer agents out there.  
  
Noin's lopsided grin grew a bit wider as she remembered two more quiet warriors who had gone soft: Trowa Barton and Heero Yuy. Trowa was still a very quiet person, but had become more outgoing and friendly as the years passed. He had even cracked a few jokes on occasion. As for Heero, he had surprised everyone by taking a job as a professor of history at a prestigious university. It made sense; Heero was teaching the new generation about the horrors of war, something he knew far too much about from personal experience. Recently, he had begun to crack, reciprocating affection for Relena a bit more openly. Noin herself had caught the two of them holding hands on one of her visits to Earth. It's only a matter of time...  
  
Noin moved to the propulsion console. As she did, she recalled the final two pilots, Quatre Raberba Winner and Duo Maxwell. Quatre had always been the friendly sort, and his affability was only magnified by the years of peace. He was helping in the construction of the new colonies, providing the raw materials needed to build them. He had also started up a fund to aid all the combatants of the past conflicts and/or their surviving families. The ever-optimistic Duo also aided the construction efforts by pouring in material from his salvaging business. Duo was the loquacious type, always calling up his friends, just to check on them and see how they were doing.  
  
Noin turned around and leaned against the panel as she remembered the one pilot who had stolen her heart. Zechs Merquise had opened himself up to her after the Mariemaia crisis. They had first kissed on the planet Mars when they were overseeing the start of the terraforming project. Their jobs had gotten in the way of them escalating their relationship, but they were happy with just each other. They were as devoted to each other as they were to the Preventer Agency. Noin hoped that would change eventually, though. She loved Zechs and didn't plan to spend the rest of her life in the service. She knew Zechs felt the same way. The question was...when would that time come?  
  
The comm unit next to her crackled, causing her to jump slightly. "Noin," Wufei's voice was a bit distorted from the system. She punched the send button and responded. "Yeah Wufei?"  
  
Her partner's voice sounded a little surprised. "We just got main sensors back online. I dunno how, they just restarted themselves."  
  
Noin frowned. These old Preventer cruisers certainly had their quirks. "Understood. Don't change course, though. This old girl's due for an overhaul anyway."  
  
"Roger that. You coming back up? It's almost lunchtime."  
  
She laughed. "Sure thing. I'll be up in a second." Double-checking everything one last time, she headed up the ladder to the cockpit. As she passed a viewport, something in the inky blackness of space flashed. Noin saw it out of the corner of her eye and whipped her head around to try to discern what it was, but it was gone. She thought she had seen something eerily familiar. No, it can't be, she told herself.  
  
Pulling herself out of the hatch, she strode over to the main console. Wufei looked up at her from his adjacent seat, a bowl of soup in his lap. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked.  
  
Noin shook her head. "I thought I saw something..." she responded as she initiated a full sensor sweep of the area. Watching the sweep's progress, she was startled with the comm panel started to beep loudly. Wufei slapped the receive button, quieting the console. A screen flashed up on the window in front of them. Noin and Wufei both drew a surprised gasp. It was a priority one message direct from Preventer Headquarters in Brussels. She had not seen that alert in six years. Entering the proper passcode and frequency, Noin waited for the visage of Chief Une to materialize. To her surprise, the serious face of Zechs Merquise appeared.  
  
"Noin, Wufei," Zechs greeted them in his dour monotone.  
  
"What's going on Zechs? Where's Lady Une?" Noin inquired.  
  
The blond man's eyes narrowed into icy blue shards. "That's just it. Someone has tried to kill her."  
  
Wufei shot out of his seat, spilling nearly half his soup. "Is she all right?"  
  
"She's in critical condition. The press is all over us here, wanting to know what happened. We need you two to get here, fast. Sally is already en route. We're still trying to contact Aeron and Mariemaia, but so far no luck."  
  
"I copy," Noin said as she threw all available power to propulsion. "We're going to stop at MO-V to drop this ship and grab a shuttle."  
  
"Understood. Get here as soon as you can." With that, Zechs Merquise's image winked out.  
  
Wufei turned and headed toward the aft of the ship. "I'm going to retool the engines so we can coax some more power out of this thing."  
  
Noin nodded. "I'll contact MO-V and tell them to get a shuttle ready for us." As she worked the comm, she spied the completed scan report printout hanging out of the control panel. Ripping it out, she stuffed it into the pocket of her Preventers jacket.  
  
The engines gave a mighty rumble and the Preventer cruiser blasted towards Earth. 


	5. Rescue

Colony X-4363A, L2 Colony Cluster, Outer Space  
  
Olivia "Liv" Longstreet knew she was in trouble. From the minute she set foot into that dark alley, she knew something was bound to go wrong. It was just the way her luck always turned out. Her "family" had sent her to crack the lock to the back of a bank so they could sneak in and steal money. In truth, they weren't her real family with the exception of her father, who ran the whole operation. They were just a street gang trying to make do and survive. Liv had been born without knowing how or who her biological mother was. All she knew and had ever known was her "family". Unlike the rest of them, who were loud, foul-mouthed, avaricious and not very bright, she was soft-spoken, kind wholly unselfish and highly intelligent. She was also pretty attractive, when not covered in dirt and grime as she was now. She had long, waist length blonde hair that would have been downy and soft had it not been covered with filth. Her eyes were unique in that her right one was a soft cerulean blue while her left was a muted forest green. Her appearance and intelligence were very useful to her gang as they exploited her for all she was worth. It was only because of her father's intervention that she wasn't forced to use her body for money. Even so, he wasn't a very caring father as he constantly beat her. Her gang wasn't much better as they picked, needled and sometimes hurt her. But they were the only people she had ever known and she had to trust them with her welfare.  
  
Stepping nimbly into the alley, she spotted the external terminal that regulated the bank's power supply. She had a way with electronics and it came in handy. All she had to do was find a way to disable the alarm, short the security system, then wait for her group to meet up with her. It would have been a piece of cake if they had done it at night, but her father in his infinite wisdom, had decided to stage the raid during the day. Gave them an element of surprise, he said. Liv had her misgivings, but she kept her mouth shut, lest she receive a slap across the face. Now all she could hope was that the raid would go down smooth and that none of the myriad number of people passing by noticed the dirty, grimy girl at the end of the alley picking at a power box.  
  
Liv had jimmied the cover to the terminal open when she sensed that she wasn't alone anymore. Looking over her shoulder, she gulped in fear. There were six or seven big, burly figures standing behind her, watching. She set the cover on the ground and squinted so she could distinguish if it was any of her gang that had followed her. She swallowed again when she realized that they weren't. She knew from the red bandanas they all wore on their right leg. They were the Kriegs, a rival gang to her own. And a bunch of them had managed to find her in the dark alley.  
  
"Well, what do we have here?" one of the large men, probably the leader, addressed to the open air. He looked pointedly at Liv and smiled, showing rotted black stumps where teeth should have been.  
  
"It looks like a little street wench, Billy Jack," another heavyset guy behind the leader said. "Can't we have a little fun now?"  
  
Liv knew exactly where she was going if she didn't act fast. The Kriegs had a really bad reputation. Gripping the cover to the terminal, which was just a long piece of hard metal, she looked frantically for an escape route. Desperate, her mind thought of all her possible options. To stay meant certain torture and death at the hands of the Kriegs. To try to make a run for it meant she had a very minute chance of getting out of there with her life. To do so, however, she would have to run through the seven or so guys to daylight. And they were getting closer, so she made up her mind right then and there. Pulling the cover along, she stepped towards the leader Billy Jack and in one fluid motion swung the cover into his knee. She was strangely satisfied when she heard a resounding crack and Billy Jack scream in pain. He crumpled to the ground, clutching his knee. Liv faced the next six guys. While she was a street urchin and had had her own share of fights, her limited experience certainly did her no good as she was going up against hardened street thugs. She feinted forward towards the next thug and he stepped back as she threw a fake punch to ward him off. She tried the same ploy, feinting forward with her fist, but this time the thug was ready for her. He grabbed her hand and twisted hard to the right, making her twist and cry out in pain. The man then threw her into the hard brick wall, knocking her head against the wall, causing her to see stars. As she tried to get her bearings again, the thugs were upon her. She felt as if she was being pummeled by a set of twelve jackhammers as they pounded away at her frail, worn out form, landing rock hard punches on her head, in her stomach, all over.  
  
Suddenly the pounding stopped as one of the thugs was kicked into an adjacent wall by a lean, dark figure. The figure darted between the thugs, knocking them senseless to the ground. A punch to the gut, a kick to the forehead, a palm to the chin, that was all Liv was able to make out of her swollen eyes. By the time she had slumped to the ground, quivering in pain, the dark figure had floored every single one of the thugs. It then approached Liv. She thought she could see a long, brown ponytail swinging behind the figure's back as it came closer. Then it spoke.  
  
"Are you all right?" it, or rather, he asked in a pleasant masculine voice, although it was laced with concern.  
  
Liv tried to say something, but her split lip hurt too much, so she just shook her head.  
  
Her unknown savior shook his head. "Didn't think so. Let's get you to a hospital."  
  
Liv nodded slowly, as moving her head even slightly hurt like hell. The man bent down and cradled her shattered body in his arms. As he carried her towards the light, she was able to get a better view of his face. Chestnut brown bangs that covered his forehead just above a pair of intense cobalt blue eyes and a handsome face that right now bore and expression of concern and concentration. He looked over at her and noticed her staring. He smiled and spoke. "Hey there. My name's Duo. Don't worry about anything; I'll take care of you. You'll live." He canted his head a bit. "What's your name?"  
  
She shook her head as she tried to remember that particular piece of information. Her battered brain couldn't even come with that. Suddenly a massive wave of pain ran through her head and she moaned. As she was about to black out, she finally remembered who she was. She managed to croak "Liv" before the darkness consumed her world completely. 


	6. Skyjacked

Earth-bound Shuttle on Approach from Lagrange Point Three  
  
Catherine Bloom gazed out of her viewport. The approaching blue globe of Earth filled her view. She had last been on Earth many, many years before, when her whole family was killed as they were fleeing a battle between the Earth Alliance forces and Eastern European rebels. She has lost her parents and her little two-year old brother Triton in the firefight. She had been only four years old at the time and she was taken in by the traveling circus troupe that her parents had been part of. She grew misty- eyed as she remembered the hardships that she went through. Catherine glanced over to the seat next to her. Trowa was sitting in his seat, perfectly still, his long brown bangs, obscuring part of his face as he sat, sleeping lightly. He had been to Earth a fair few times in his life, though he had never told her of any of his exploits while he was there. Not that she was one to ask, but her curiosity had been piqued ever since the appearance of the two fiery-headed strangers who were sitting in the aisle across from them. Mariemaia Khushrenada was chatting animatedly with her guardian, Preventer Agent Aeron Mackenzie. Catherine shook her head, trying to imagine this lively, outgoing teenager as the head of a huge military operation bent on the subjugation of mankind. Looking at her surrogate little brother again and remembering the trials he went through, she paused in her thoughts. "I suppose anyone is capable of terrible things," she murmured softly.  
  
Feeling a twinge in her back and legs caused by sitting so long, she stood up and carefully made her way around Trowa so as not to wake him. Aeron saw her get up and turned to Catherine as she was in the aisle. "Catherine, do you need anything?" she asked helpfully in her strange but pleasant accent.  
  
"Oh, yes. I was just wondering if there was anywhere I could get something to drink," she replied. Her throat had be slightly sore ever since she'd set foot on the shuttle.  
  
Aeron pointed down the aisle towards the rear of the craft. "There should be a bar in the galley back there. You should be able to find something to suit your tastes there. Don't linger too long though. We may be starting descent soon, probably in about an hour or so, and that can get kind of bumpy."  
  
Catherine smiled. "Thank you." The redhead returned the smile and turned back to Mariemaia. Catherine made her way down the aisle, observing the small number of other passengers on the shuttle, who all seemed to be dozing off. "Curious," she mumbled under her breath. Pushing open the door to the galley, she did indeed find a bar there, situated on the right side of the room, away from the tables and chairs that occupied the room. It was a rather large room for a shuttlecraft, and she wondered how exactly her little party came about commanding such luxurious amenities. Mariemaia must still hold quite a position of importance to able to afford all this, she decided.  
  
The brunette maneuvered herself to the bar, deftly slipping between tables and chairs and plopping herself into a cushioned barstool. There were only two other people at the bar, both rather large burly men, and neither of them seemed interested in anything other than their glasses filled with an amber substance that was unmistakably liquor. That was perfectly fine with Catherine. A young woman of no more than seventeen or eighteen years of age came up to Catherine. She had dark hair and a rich, light mocha complexion. She also wore a bartender's uniform suit.  
  
"Hi there!" she greeted the older woman brightly. "My name is Rynna and I'm your bartender for this flight. What would you like to drink, ma'am?"  
  
Catherine pondered. "Do you have anything hot? My throat has been bothering me a bit."  
  
Rynna's eyebrows lifted ever so slightly. "Oh? Is it dry, sore or aching?" she asked, her brown eyes focusing on Catherine's throat as if she could see right through flesh and tissue.  
  
"More of the last two, not so much the first," Catherine replied.  
  
Rynna nodded. "I know just the thing to make that all better," she declared and reached under the bar, pulling up a plastic bottle of honey, a small pot of sugar, a teaspoon, a small plate and a teacup. She placed these on the bar, then turned around and walked to the right end of the bar and came back carrying a silver teapot. She poured the hot, steaming tea into the teacup carefully and placed the teapot on the counter behind her. Reaching for the pot of sugar, she measured out a small amount of it with the teaspoon and dumped it into the tea. Taking the bottle of honey, she held it upside down over the teacup and squeezed a fair amount of the sticky and sweet substance into the tea. Stirring it carefully, she handed the cup to Catherine, who accepted it gratefully. "Give that a whirl," Rynna said.  
  
Inhaling the wisps of steam that rose from the cup, Catherine could have sworn she felt her aches and pains lessen. "Thank you," she said with warm sincerity to Rynna and took a sip from the cup. The hot liquid made its way down her throat, soothing the soreness she had felt. Lifting her cup in a small salute, she told Rynna, "This is really good!"  
  
Rynna grinned. "You think so?" She pointed to the bottle of honey. "This is what does the trick. It's not just honey in here. I've added a few other things as well, like ginger and lemon extracts. It really helps with sore throats."  
  
"As I've discovered," Catherine said as she sipped more tea. "I'll have to try making something like this when I return home."  
  
"Oh it's easy," Rynna said. "It's all a matter of putting the right amount in. You need to heat the honey first though. Not too much, just a little bit so it's warm. Then you add the lemon and ginger in and mix it, and you let it cool. I picked this all up from my grandmother." Just then, a phone rang from behind the counter to the right. "Excuse me," Rynna said. "Duty calls."  
  
Catherine nodded and Rynna went off to answer the phone. Catherine held the warm cup in her hands, letting the pleasant heat soothe her. After a few minutes' time, Rynna returned. "Hi again," Catherine greeted her. "Are we going to descend soon?"  
  
"Pretty soon, but there's still about forty-five minutes or so before you need to return to your seat. Unless of course you'd like to." Something in Rynna's eyes told Catherine that this last statement was said more out of duty and courtesy than what she actually felt.  
  
"No, I think I'll stay and chat a bit," she said, winking at Rynna. "Perhaps have more of this wonderful tea. My name's Catherine," she said, extending her hand to the girl.  
  
Rynna smiled and shook the offered hand. "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Catherine."  
  
"You seem awfully young to be bartending on a shuttle, Rynna," Catherine said, leaving the end of her statement open for explanation.  
  
"Well, this isn't exactly what I planned to be doing, no," Rynna answered truthfully. "But it's only a part-time thing, or at least I hope it will be."  
  
"What would you like to do?"  
  
The younger woman paused and appeared thoughtful. "Well, I'd certainly like to go to flight school and be able to learn how to fly, like my brother."  
  
Catherine's eyes widened. "Really?" she asked, not so much a question as an expression of surprise. "That's pretty ambitious. I must admit, I'm a bit surprised as to why you'd like to do that."  
  
Rynna gave Catherine a wry grin. "Is it because I'm a girl?"  
  
"Well, partly, I guess," Catherine replied. "It's not something I'd expect a young woman such as yourself to aspire to be."  
  
"Well, I have my reasons. Like I said, my brother is a pilot. In fact, he's piloting this very shuttle right now," Rynna said, a hint of sisterly pride in her voice.  
  
Catherine remembered seeing a sullen-faced young man of twenty or so climb into the cockpit at the start of their flight. From what she could recall, he had dark, blonde hair and a pasty white complexion. In other words, he looked nothing like Rynna. His copilot, a short, squat Asian man, looked even less like Rynna. "He is?" she asked, a little uncertain of whom she was talking about.  
  
Rynna nodded. "He's the only family I have left. Ever since our parents were killed eight years ago, he's taken care of me. He's an excellent pilot, and that's how he's been able to support us all these years."  
  
"And you'd like to follow in his footsteps. That's pretty admirable. I hope you'll be able to do so," Catherine said sincerely.  
  
"I know I'll be able to do so, soon," Rynna said, almost distractedly. Catherine was about to ask her what she meant by that when the ship suddenly gave a mighty lurch forward, unseating Catherine and throwing her to the carpeted floor. Picking herself up, she grabbed the bar and regained her balance.  
  
Rynna looked at Catherine with concern as she grabbed the various things on the bar to keep them from falling and breaking. "Are you all right?"  
  
Catherine nodded. "And you?"  
  
"I've had worse," Rynna replied, rubbing her elbow. "You'd better get back to your seat before it gets any rougher. We're apparently coming in a little bit early."  
  
"See you on the ground, then," Catherine said, smiling as she turned to follow the rest of the passengers returning to their seats. Making her way back down the aisle, she slipped in past Trowa, (who was now awake), sat down and buckled her seatbelt.  
  
"Where did you go?" Trowa asked as he buckled his own seatbelt.  
  
"To the back to get something to drink," Catherine replied. "Funny we're descending so early. Aeron said that we had at least an hour before the actual descent." They both looked over the aisle at the Preventer agent who was leaning over Mariemaia, peering out the viewport. To their surprise, Aeron rose and came over to them.  
  
"I'm not entirely sure what's going on. I don't think we're descending quite yet, and if we are, we're doing it over the wrong area of the world." Aeron looked slightly concerned. "I'm going to go to the cockpit and check with the pilot." With that, she padded down towards the front of the spacecraft towards the cockpit.  
  
Trowa frowned slightly and looked outside the viewport. Something didn't sit right with him. Catherine caught his look and was able to tell from years of knowing him that something was troubling him. "What is it, Trowa?"  
  
"We're on the correct flightpath for descent, but like Aeron said, we're not over the right portion of Earth."  
  
"Yes, that's why she's going forward to find out exactly why," Catherine said.  
  
"I know, but still..." It wasn't like Trowa to be indecisive or inconclusive about something, and that troubled Catherine. She didn't know what to do to assuage his feelings of unrest, so she sat there with him as he brooded silently.  
  
A few minutes passed, then there was a loud sound like a gunshot from the forward compartment. Trowa shot out of his seat, ready to move forward when a large object came down from behind him and slammed him across the head. He was thrown into the aisle, bleeding from a large gash on his head. Catherine screamed, and tried to get out into the aisle, but an arm came around from behind her and wrapped around her neck, crushing her windpipe. She choked and sputtered as she was dragged out into the aisle by the rather large man in a black suit that had been sitting in the seat behind her. He held her upright while digging a gun into the small of her back. "Be quiet and don't make a noise," he ordered in a rough voice.  
  
Catherine had no intention of disobeying his commands as she could barely breathe. She looked around the cabin and surveyed the scene and the disaster that it had become. Trowa was on the floor, still bleeding onto the carpet, unconscious. His breathing was shallow and Catherine feared he might be seriously hurt. Another large, black-suited man was holding Mariemaia in a fashion similar to the one that was holding Catherine and she could see that the man had a gun to the child's back as well. Just then, the door to the cockpit burst open and Aeron ran out into the aisle. She was bleeding from her mouth and shoulder and she appeared to be limping as well. She tried to dash to Catherine and Mariemaia but yet another black suit jumped her from an aisle seat and tackled her right into the cabin wall. He manhandled the redheaded woman and brought her arms behind her back and managed to slap on a pair of handcuffs before she could do anything in retaliation. He pushed her to the ground and grabbed her flailing feet and put a pair of cuffs around her ankle. He then dragged her towards the middle of the cabin where the other two men were holding Catherine and Mariemaia.  
  
"Aeron, are you all right?!" Mariemaia called out, her voice strained because of the grip the man had on her. Her eyes, fixed on the Preventer agent on the floor, were wide with terror and concern.  
  
"Just stay calm, Marie," Aeron answered. "Don't make any movements."  
  
"Wise advice, Madam Preventer," a deep resonating voice said from the front of the cabin. "Too bad you didn't follow your own wisdom." A tall man came into view from the cockpit door. He had wavy black hair, dark brown eyes and a very familiar light mocha complexion. Catherine strained against her captor for a better view. The new speaker walked right down the aisle and stopped in front of Aeron's prone form on the floor. "You're probably wondering what in hell is going on right now," he said, his rich voice easily filling the room. "First, let me assure you that no further harm will come to you should you choose to cooperate. As you have probably guessed, my colleagues and I have taken over this ship." He paused. "Well, I shouldn't say taken over, as it has already been under our control for some time now."  
  
Catherine looked around as much as her captor would let her. Indeed, it seemed that everyone else in the ship was standing at attention, apparently waiting for this person's next command. It finally dawned on Catherine that she and her party were the only people on the shuttle not allied with this man. The man with a very familiar skin tone...The realization struck her like a bolt of lightning. She gaped at the man and said, "You're Rynna's brother?"  
  
The man looked surprised for a moment, but composed himself quickly. "Ah, I see you've met my baby sister." He pulled out a walkie-talkie and held it to his face. "Rynna, would you please come to the cabin section."  
  
A few moments later, Rynna appeared in the aisle, stopping at Trowa's unconscious form on the floor. "Yes, Vance?" she asked genially.  
  
"I see you've met Miss Catherine Bloom already," her brother stated, motioning to the pinioned woman who showed surprise at her name being mentioned.  
  
"Oh yes, we had a wonderful time talking before over tea. She really is quite a lovely person, Vance." Rynna smiled brightly at Catherine, who could only look bewildered back at her.  
  
Mariemaia's voice cut through the cabin. "If we're done with the introductions and formalities," she said, her voice cold as ice, "I would really like to know why you have taken us hostage and what it is you want."  
  
The man called Vance turned to look at the young redhead. "Ah, Mariemaia Khushrenada. You still insist on using your late father's surname, even after all this time." He bent forward so his face was level with Mariemaia's. "I can see Lady Une has taught you well throughout the years."  
  
"Well enough to know that you lot are nothing but common terrorists," the defiant girl spat back at Vance, who merely chuckled.  
  
"You will find we are much more than that in due time, my dear. Your beloved Lady Une already has."  
  
Mariemaia's eyes grew very big. "What have you done to her, you monster?!" she screamed at him.  
  
"Something that should have been done a long time ago," he replied nonchalantly, as if he was discussing the riddance of a pesky bug. "But there will be more time for getting to know each other once we make landfall. Adams, Cardigan," he nodded to the two men holding Catherine and Mariemaia. "See to it that your charges are properly accommodated for the landing." He turned to the man who was standing over Aeron. "Drago, if you would be so kind as to secure Miss Mackenzie for the landing as well." The men set to work carrying out their orders, strapping Mariemaia, Catherine and Aeron into their seats again, only this time, using handcuffs and rope as well as their own seatbelts to keep them in their seats. Rynna skipped gaily to her brother's side and accompanied him back towards the cockpit. Then the man called Drago picked Trowa up off the floor and unceremoniously dumped him back into his seat. He then handcuffed and tied the unconscious Trowa as well as buckling him in. Then, almost as an afterthought, he pulled out a large green handkerchief out of his pants pocket and tied it around Trowa's head to staunch the bleeding somewhat. After he was done, he and his fellow kidnappers resumed their own seats and strapped themselves in.  
  
The intercom crackled. "I hope all of you are buckled in tight, because it's going to be a bumpy ride down," Vance's voice announced. "Next stop, Earth."  
  
Catherine's throat burned anew as she wept, staring out at the oncoming planet from her viewport. 


End file.
